Mobile Game Review of "Road Rash (mobile)"

Image by vonguard via FlickrEA's Road Rash mobile concentrated on what made the game fun... the combat. There's no racing, as it's already messy enough doing the combat. It's strictly a fighting game... albeit both opponents are on wheels.

There's this plot that you are some unnamed biker avenging death of your girlfriend, Maria, at the hands of "Charlie's Gang". However, as you continue through four continents, you find that nothing is really as it seems...

You start by customizing your own biker... Sleeve, body, stripe, helmet, bike body, bike stripe... All can be a different color. It's all up to you to make your biker unique. You'll be up against various nasties, some sporting things nastier than your typical stick and fists. And the final boss... Well, let's just say he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

The combat itself is relatively simple, but that's where the fun it. You both ride on the road, and you start beating each other up. You have two attacks (high bash, or low kick), and two defense (dodge, or block). High bash do more damage, but low kick will push the other bike back in addition to the damage. Block will block most damage, but some enemies bypass blocks. Dodge will dodge aside by doing a swerve, but also gives up space to your opponent. If you got to edge of the road, you get to tap a quick 5 key sequence like Dance Dance Revolution to determine who forces who. If you are forcing someone off the road, that determines who succeeds. If you are defending (i.e. trying to PREVENT being forced off), same thing.

The idea basically is to beat the other guy's life bar to zero (a Knockout, or KO), or to shove the other guy successfully off the road, in which case, he hits a sign, a rock, or a shrub and suffers "road rash". However, you can't just keep beating, as you have a "stamina bar" as well. You can only swing so many times before you ran out of stamina and have to rest and defend while the bar recharges.

You can also throw bonus items like knives, tear gas, napalm grenade, and so on at your opponent. Save them for difficult opponents as they will give you a small edge for short periods. However, you earn them by beating opponents, or dodge helicopter attacks for 25 seconds without being hit. It's not as easy as it sounds, as those rockets come in series and you have to be quick to dodge them. However, if you survive, you get bonus napalm bombs.

The bosses at each continent are very special, as they have special moves. For example... The South American boss use Capoira melee techniques off his bike in addition to stuff. Later bosses have even MORE tricks up his or her sleeves...

As you beat up more bikers, you will occasionally gain experience points to increase your various skills... You can put the points into attack power (+20), kick power (additional kickback, +10 damage), bike handling (decrease the amount you move when you were kicked), and life (make your life bar larger). Each skill can be upgraded five times.

As you go through the continent, you get a choice: more stops (but more experience points), or less stops (and less experience)?

All in all, Road Rash is another adaptation that gets the essence of the game. It's no longer race and fight, but just fight, but the game is still fun nonetheless. However, it's not fun enough for rate above a 7.5. Graphics is just 2D, and music is boring.